[Closed] Ah, truckers, you galant knights of the road!

Nearly every weekend I observe people who have no clue how to use a motorway.

It needs to be part of the test/lessons (at least at a theory level).

60-65mph in the left lane, not busy at all. Big gaps in front, big gaps behind me. Lots of people bunched up in the middle lane. At least every other slip road, someone will match my speed and start trying to move into the side of me!

I'm not perfect, but I know when I do wrong. I've misjudged gaps and timing and had to say sorry, but bloody hell, a lot of people need to learn how to join a motorway safely!

A Dutch truck cut me up coming to join the motorway yesterday. Going full pelt and just came along side me on the left and forced me to slam on to avoid being sideswiped.

Loads of room behind me to join, but he just didn't want to slow down. First time that's happened though.

Few months ago, I saw Cheshire Police, overtaking the middle lane of traffic to flash his sign at them to "move left!". They all moved over, he zooms off the tell the next lot, then they all indicate back into the middle lane and carry on!

A personal hate of mine is 'considerate' inside lane drivers who simply pull into the middle lane to let those on the slip road joining the motorway an unimpeded run. Yes - Edinburgh bound M90 drivers at junction 3 I am talking to you. 😈

Lane discipline in the UK is terrible. The number of times you see 3 and 4 lane carriageways turned into 2 lane by people who don't know how to use a motorway.

Keep left, overtake slower traffic, then move back left. It's not hard is it?

In France you would get a ticket for driving the way 75% do in the UK.

Life is just much easier if you can pick a speed and hold it.[

Obviously, that's why every 50 limited motorway section I've driven has the second lane full of HGVs trying to carry their limited speed and passing cars doing 50.

Folks playing games in front of you? Probably just as funny as someone turning up at you work and standing in the way of your chair

My office chair doesn't wipe out families when I use it like a ****.

A personal hate of mine is 'considerate' inside lane drivers who simply pull into the middle lane to let those on the slip road joining the motorway an unimpeded run

I do that all the time. If they are going to end up alongside me then I'll move over a lane and let them on. What's wrong with that? 😕

Seems like hazard perception, conflict avoidance and generally being courteous to me.

Obviously, that's why every 50 limited motorway section I've driven has the second lane full of HGVs trying to carry their limited speed and passing cars doing 50.

I've been travelling the A1M roadworks between Leeming & Scotch Corner for the past 2 years & never seen that. Don't think I've ever been tailgated by an HGV either (although I've had many a tow from them)
Bustaspoke to the forum please!

Obviously, that's why every 50 limited motorway section I've driven has the second lane full of HGVs trying to carry their limited speed and passing cars doing 50.
I've been travelling the A1M roadworks between Leeming & Scotch Corner for the past 2 years & never seen that. Don't think I've ever been tailgated by an HGV either (although I've had many a tow from them)

Come to Manchester and have a drive round the roadworks section of the M60

You can be doing 50 mph and have a LGV literally 2ft from your back bumper.

Frightening.

 

I think we all need to drive less and ride more.

I do that all the time. If they are going to end up alongside me then I'll move over a lane and let them on. What's wrong with that?

Seems like hazard perception, conflict avoidance and generally being courteous to me.

The issue is that in their haste to vacate the inside lane, they invariably fail to take account of the traffic in the middle lane and just pull in causing that traffic to have to slow or do the same to traffic in the 3rd lane. Make the traffic on the slip road slow down or slow down to allow them in yourself, but don't just shift the problem further up the lanes.

Another crazy crash on the Forth road bridge on Friday involving a lorry and car, its meant to be a 40 average but folk give you hassle or undercut if you stick too close to 40, lorries cars and buses all culprits
Its the tailbacks that it causes that does my tits in

Another crazy crash on the Forth road bridge on Friday involving a lorry and car

I drove past just as it had happened. A Renault Megane ended up perched on top of the centre reservation gridded section. Air bags deployed, but thankfully it didn't look like their were any serious injuries.

matt_outandabout - Member
I think we all need to drive less and ride more.

Geoff J - not sure what middle lane you're on about? The M90 is two lane.

The issue is that in their haste to vacate the inside lane, they invariably fail to take account of the traffic in the middle lane...

Okay, so the problem isn't with the general thing of people moving to the middle lane to let other traffic on more easily (which I do), but with the more specific issue of people doing this badly or at times when they shouldn't (which [i]hopefully[/i] I don't)?

Fair enough I guess.

Obviously, that's why every 50 limited motorway section I've driven has the second lane full of HGVs trying to carry their limited speed and passing cars doing 50.

Don't lorries have more realistic speedometer? Or at least the drivers know what their true speed is?

I'm really not a fan of people braking on the motorway for anything other than oncoming traffic or speed cameras - if you can't just move over, and the traffic behind you is quite dense, then braking to let someone merge is surely inconveniencing more people than the merging driver?

A lot on here are coming across like those bellends who spout the hatred at cyclists.

Some people are twunts.

Some people drive trucks.

Some people drive cars.

Some people ride bicycles.

Obviously, that's why every 50 limited motorway section I've driven has the second lane full of HGVs trying to carry their limited speed and passing cars doing 50.

I have never seen this.

Don't lorries have more realistic speedometer? Or at least the drivers know what their true speed is?

I use the GPS speed on Waze. Dial in at about 52 -53 on the cruise control. Works for me.

Geoff J - not sure what middle lane you're on about? The M90 is two lane.

It's more of a generic point, although I could have perhaps been more specific in my j3 reference.

However, as a 60k pa driver........

Really.........where did you get this figure from. More like 35 to 40k for 70 hours a week living in a tin box with no toilet and parking in a layby or industrial estate because everywhere else is full up by 5 o'clock. Depending where you live, the going rate is only £8 to £10 per hour so you're probably not going to get the best of "professional driver" for that money. Haulage rates and standards are a race to the bottom so you can get cheap goods in the shops.

With slip roads, several times I've pulled safely into lane 2 to allow cars onto lane 1 from the slip road only for a continuous stream of vehicles to join and accelerate up to 70 mph leaving me stranded in lane 2 doing 56 mph with my left hand indicator on trying to get back. I've even been held out there so long that I missed the next exit I wanted. Courtesy works both ways........

However, as a 60k pa driver.....

I saw this and thought the same but then realised he was taking about his mileage.

Er, I read that "60K pa" as number-of-miles-driven (by the poster)?

Surely courtesy, whilst an excellent thing, should never happen at the expence of the rules. You might know what's going on but other people won't. I refuse to bend the rulers to be nice or accept courtesy. By the book is never wrong.
I dream of the day when HGV traffic returns to the railways or canals and stuff the selfish gits who want next day delivery.
Bearing in mind that all generalisations are based on truth I find commercial drivers of all sorts to be the worst. The excuse that their oversized wagon needs more space or constant speed is at best flaming selfish.

I dream of the day when HGV traffic returns to the railways or canals and stuff the selfish gits who want next day delivery.

I agree with the sentiment.

However, how would you get your stuff from the railhead to the supermarket or the container of pipes for a fabrication plant?

Yep, that's 60,000 miles per annum!

Bearing in mind that all generalisations are based on truth I find commercial drivers of all sorts to be the worst

Surely courtesy, whilst an excellent thing, should never happen at the expence of the rules.

I think such courtesy is required [i]more[/i] specifically [i]because[/i] people don't follow the rules.

i.e. If everyone maintained a [i]proper[/i] 2 second gap (i.e. ~62.5 meters at 70mph) then it would be a lot easier for oncoming traffic to slot in without the need for anyone to move over. But they don't

You might know what's going on but other people won't.

Well I wouldn't normally move out if it was going to cause other traffic to brake or take action. But I'd hope my indicator would be enough to tell other drivers what was going on.

But you still don't break the rules. Bugger the excuses.

So even if there was absolutely no reason that you couldn't move to the middle lane to let slip road traffic on more easily, you still wouldn't?

That seems like an overly zealous enforcement of "the rules" to me.

Yep, that's 60,000 miles per annum

Thanks...........my mistake [img] [/img]

I think lorry drivers are a problem that will go away. Driverless cars? I think there's much more mileage in driverless lorries. No drivers hours, comfort breaks or other such delays, more controllable fuel economy, nighttime haulage that might get incentives rather than premium rates.

No I don't think the future is particularly bright for lorry drivers and personally I can't wait, 15 years max I reckon.

Bearing in mind that all generalisations are based on truth I find commercial drivers of all sorts to be the worst

I'd say the reverse is true (IANACD).

+1

It's a constant source of frustration, and occasional fear and anger, that while drivers of double decker buses and 44 ton lorries can give me enough room when they pass, drivers of Nissan Micras and Honda Jazzes can't seem to manage it on the same piece of road.

mattsccm - Member

But you still don't break the rules.

Show me this rule that states you are not allowed to move over into the middle lane to overtake traffic... 💡

😉

Rule 259
Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should

give priority to traffic already on the motorway
check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane
not cross solid white lines that separate lanes or use the hard shoulder
stay on the slip road if it continues as an extra lane on the motorway
remain in the left-hand lane long enough to adjust to the speed of traffic before considering overtaking.

There is no rule that you can't move into the middle lane. However, if everyone is following the rules then you shouldn't need to. The onus is on the joining traffic to match their speed.

TBH, especially if the middle lane is clear, it is far safer and much more sensible to move other to give the joining traffic time more space.

i.e. If everyone maintained a proper 2 second gap (i.e. ~62.5 meters at 70mph) then it would be a lot easier for oncoming traffic to slot in without the need for anyone to move over. But they don't

But everyone would either need to slow down to accommodate the extra car or pull out to maintain their 2 second gap.

Of course. Adding a car into the two second gap would require the other cars to ease off a little to adjust their speed to maintain the gap.

Or move over a lane to make space, *if* there is room for them in the next lane.

Well in the last couple of days I've seen a 'Megabus' blatantly jump a Red onto a roundabout and a TNT HGV jump a Red and nearly wipe out a SUV at speed. I've lodged complaints and I hope the drivers find alternative employment rather than deliberately risk other peoples' lives for their convenience.

I see this so unbelievably often, particularly with HGVs who are travelling too fast into an amber/onto roundabouts.

HGVs incapable of remaining on their side of the road round corners due to their excessive speed.

If it's too difficult to change 14 gears, navigate safely down roads and obey lights, then perhaps being a professional driver isn't your vocation in life.....

Most of the wagons with our haulier are automatic, so they could have 1000 gears and it wouldn't matter, and negates the excuse that it's a pain to change speed.

+1 to what Mikertroid says above.

The absolute twunt driving a Spanish truck yesterday through the roadworks on the M6 needs taking to one side and asking if he'd drive that close to cars, undertaking them and driving in a generally threatening way if it were his wife and kids in the car in front.
Always get it with trucks in the 50mph sections, but this guy was a whole new level of dangerous.

I know this idea is a bit old fashioned but it may help reduce accidents and possibly increase the take up of cycling.

Bring back the man with a red flag walking in front of all motorised traffic.

CharlieMungus - Member
Any of you ever drive truck?
Changing speed is a real pain. You have about 14 gears and every time you drop a few mph, you need to clump through the gears,down then back up again. Life is just much easier if you can pick a speed and hold it. Folks playing games in front of you? Probably just as funny as someone turning up at you work and standing in the way of your chair as you try to wheel across the office or adjust the height. But I guess you are all doing much more important things

So there you have it. It's ok to risk killing people rather than 'letting the revs drop'. It's a fair point, though, because if you get to the next butty stop last, the bacon sarnies are on you. 🙄

50mph" limits don't really apply to you

50mph" limits don't really apply to you